Downtown Troy's Illium Cafe plans expansion

Marla Ortega, left to right, son Nathan, husband Brian and mother Marylyn Raleigh pose in a new space adjacent to the Ilium Cage that will becone a wine and Tappas bar. (Mike McMahon / The Record) 11/23/11

TROY -- The Illium Café is about to get a little bigger with a new expansion possibly being completed by the end of the year or in the beginning of January, according to chef Marla Ortega.

The Illium Café will be expanding into the adjacent building on Broadway, adding another 1,200 square feet, where Ortega said she will be opening as a sort of wine bar with tapas-styled dishes, which means mainly small plates.

The new portion of the cafe will be open during the evenings of Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The front area of the new portion will be a lounge-style space with couches, tables and even a bar. The Illium received its Beer and Wine license about three weeks ago and Ortega said she wants to keep it low-key with just selling beer and wine.

"The woman who was leasing next door decided the space was too big for her so she is moving into a smaller space," Ortega said of the property she bought in October. "It seemed like the perfect opportunity because the space would have been empty for awhile."

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One of the main reasons Ortega said she wanted to expand was because The Illium Café was beginning to feel a bit cramped. She added that when there was a wait at the café, customers would be lined up out the door, sometimes leaving the door open, with some of those people leaving, which means less money for the restaurant.

"On the weekends during the winter, we lose tables because people don't want to wait because of the cold," Ortega said. "The restaurant feels tight and I don't want that. The expansion should bring back a more spacious dining experience."

The back of the café will be used for catering and private parties, Ortega said. She considered opening up the back for more customers but added that it would be too much for the line to handle.

Ortega said she hopes all the work will be done in time for the Victorian Stroll on Dec. 5. There isn't any construction that needs to be done, she said, mainly just painting, cleaning and putting in new equipment and furniture. It will be a soft opening, though, as Ortega said the grand opening wouldn't be until next year.

"I'd like it done yesterday," Ortega said. "I'm a very impatient soul."

The new room will have its own character, Ortega said, as the front end has a different feel than the new expanded portion.

"[The expansion] has a more classic feel while The Illium has a more Old Troy feel," Ortega said. "When you walk in from The Illium it feels like an almost different restaurant."

All of these plans are tentative as Ortega said she is still feeling it all out. In fact, the plan really came about when she saw the lady was selling the space. Still, she can't wait to open up the new portion and see how everything goes.

"I'm really excited about it," Ortega said. "Change is good and we're trying to make the business better. It's an exciting move."